


forget-me-not

by evoliar (revolia)



Category: Log Horizon
Genre: Blood and Violence, Cliche, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Multi, Short Chapters, because there are no x readers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:01:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27163573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revolia/pseuds/evoliar
Summary: [ various log horizon males x female reader ]where a game event becomes a curse.[ dedicated to those searching for a log horizon x reader ]
Relationships: Calasin/Reader, Isaac/Reader, Krusty/Reader, Naotsugu/Reader, Seta Soujirou/Reader, Shiroe/Reader, William Massachusetts/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> [f/n] = first name
> 
> [u/n] = username
> 
> I didn't read the light novels, so expect inaccuracies. I'm using my memory of the anime, logic, and all I know of MMORPGs to write these chapters. By the way this story incorporates dark elements in order to make the world seem a bit more realistic and dangerous, like rape, PKers who won't compromise, sentient monsters, etc.
> 
> There's not many Log Horizon x reader's so please enjoy!

**_CHAPTER 1: START OF ALL_ **

Elder Tale. A MMORPG that has yet to grow in content and popularity.

Yet players would take advantage of their early entry into the game and get ahead of the world.

But once the players have fully explored the areas of their server's latest version, they had free time on their hands, and decided to take on the challenge of completing every little side quest, every minor event.

This included the Forget-Me-Not Event.

This special event was held during the open-beta of Elder Tale, so it was well known to many veterans. But it was a strange event, with strange quests, strange requirements.

The event had no known time limit, and no one knows when it started, or how long it has been running.

The only way to trigger the event is to buy a single forget-me-not from a specific traveling florist, and receive the card that comes with it. The florist is an old woman who's name, intentions, and where she came from are unknown. She unexpectedly appears in populated areas, and there has been no animation of her traveling on a path.

The reason why this event was so well known was not because of the flower from real-life in a fantasy game, but because of how difficult and vague the quests were.

The quests were written in the card that the florist gave, but it would only display one at a time, which means the next one would appear when you finish the one before it.

And there was nobody who could complete the first one. 

LOCK EYES WITH DESTINY

It would say.

But it couldn't be understood.

'Lock eyes' suggesting that 'destiny' had eyes to meet? And 'destiny' wasn't something concrete that could be found in the game, nor in real life.

But they still took it.

Players bought the flower, received the card. Players searched for anything that could be 'destiny' and made their avatar lock eyes with it. Hell, they locked eyes with everything just to make sure.

With the undetermined time limit of the event, almost every player took it, in case they complete the quest by accident.

But since no one could complete the first task, people end up thinking it wasn't an event at all, just some intended poetic words to suit the card.

And then the event would be forgotten.

The single forget-me-not and card would stay in their inventory, forgotten until they decide to clean it out. 

* * *

"Hello dear, buying flowers for your boyfriend?"

"I don't need one to buy, that's for sure," you comment, before selecting the option to browse through what she was selling.

_Where are those flowers... Found them._

"Ah yes! Forget-Me-Nots! They are my favorite." The old lady's dialogue says.

"Please take this card with it as a gift." 

OBTAINED X1 FORGET-ME-NOT

OBTAINED X1 SPECIAL CARD

You went into your inventory to read the card.

"Lock eyes with destiny," you read aloud. 

* * *

"I'm surprised, [u/n]! I didn't think you'd care for such small things!" You hear Kanami speak through voice chat. 

"I just happened to find her in Akiba, buying it wasn't hard."

"So?! Did you get the card?!"

"Of course I did. It's just like the rumors." On a second monitor, you glanced at a discussion of the event in the game's forum. "Any clue of what 'destiny' is?"

"Hmmm... I really don't know, and don't care! Searching for things is not my thing, and it sounds really boring anyways!"

You sigh, knowing that if she didn't have an interest in it, she wouldn't complete it.

"Do you know anyone who bought it too?"

"I think one of the newbies in the group took it..? Not sure. But I don't think you should waste that pretty head of yours [u/n]!"

"Thank you anyways," you say, before ending the call. 

* * *

[u/n]

Race / Half-Alv

Sorcerer Lv.83

"[f/n]-chan! Meet Calasin! I've been partying with him for a while!" Marielle introduces, using your real name.

She was one of the few players that you trusted with your real name.

"Hello Calasin, you're a Summoner right? Also, please accept my friend request."

"Yes, nice to meet you [f/n]-san." His voice sounded very soft and friendly.

A ping pops up in your friend list, telling you he accepted.

"Hey [f/n]-chan, aren't you part of the Debauchery Tea Party? Why party with us?" The green-haired elf asked.

"I'm more of a solo-casual player, and Kanami invites me to their raids when she needs to," you reply.

 _A casual player at level 83..?_ Marielle and Calasin sweatdropped. 

* * *

The front page of the forum appears immediately after you type in the website.

The top discussion is about the latest expansion to the game, Sacred Heart. It's filled with threads of players figuring out the weaknesses and aspects of the new monsters and features.

But it's not what you were here for.

Using the search bar of the website, you typed in a specific subject. 

_Forget-Me-Not Event_

When you clicked to search, there was only one result. It appears that the moderators had cleaned up and compressed the info into one discussion.

It was a dead topic after all.

You entered the main thread, and scrolled all the way, skimming through all the information you already knew. It wasn't your first time discovering this topic. Once you reached the bottom, you discover nothing new.

With a sigh, you went back to find the most recent post using the website's provided filter. Much to your disappointment, the most recent activity was dated to be around 2 years ago, and their titles were variations of the same conclusion: "This event is a scam!!!", "It's not an event", "The old lady trolling LOL", ...

It was reasonable, to give up on something that hasn't made any progress for more than a decade.

But it just didn't make sense, at least to you.

Why would the developers program the Old Lady to give a strange card after buying a specific flower? And why program her to appear randomly, when she could just be one of the street vendors in a city?

It was almost like they wanted her to be hidden, a secret.

You felt you were the only one to think that.

With the strange evidence in mind, you start a thread of your own:

_The Forget-Me-Not Event is supposed to be a secret?_

You thought the title should be attention-grabbing, to encourage the others to enter what they knew.

After writing a small paragraph for the thread and posting it, you turned off your computer and went to bed. 

**_CHAPTER 1 END_ **


	2. two

_**CHAPTER 2: SOLO-CASUAL PLAYER** _

ELDER TALE FORUM

USERNAME: kuroryuu  
PASSWORD: • • • • • •  
LOGIN

Your notifications were blown up.

50+ NOTIFICATIONS

A smirk forms on your face, knowing the clickbait worked. You expect a lot of hate for it though.

You read a few of the replies. 

_Stop trying to bring back an old topic, go be attention-hungry somewhere else_

_If you wanna figure it out then do it yourself !!11_

_It's not bad to be curious. but theres none who passed the first quest._

_This topic is dead move on already_

Just as you expected.

But you knew that there are important replies buried in the hate. It would take some time to read all of them though. When you refresh the page a few times, your notifications continue to pile, so you decide to go through them later and play Elder Tale instead. 

* * *

1 MESSAGE FROM Kanami

Kanami: we're going on a raaaiid todaaay!!! and we need your help!

Just one message, and you would help out your chaotic friend.

"[u/n]-chan, meet Shiroe! He's new but he'll be our strategist for today!" 

Shiroe SENT YOU A FRIEND REQUEST  
ACCEPT DECLINE

You accepted.

"Hello [u/n]-san, I hope you don't mind me giving you orders." His voice was very plain but clear, perfect for orders given through voice.

"I don't mind if it's from our strategist," you say with a friendly tone.

From the other side of the screen, Shiroe blushed slightly. He thought your voice was very pretty and comforting. 

* * *

You were impressed.

"Naotsugu-san! Your cooldown for Anchor Howl should be over, please use it!"

"Roger that!"

He was coolly giving commands left and right, and he was knowledgeable on when and how to coordinate their skills.

"[u/n]-san, please use Frigid Wind!"

Every skill wasn't put to waste.

It appears that Shiroe was trusted by the group. Especially when one would have low health, they didn't panic or break coordination.

"Hai!"

They trusted him.

Although you weren't a frequent participant in the group's raids, you could tell that he fit in well, you easily forget that he's still a new member.

The Raid-rank monster finally shatters into brilliant glass.

"Amazing! All thanks to our super strategist!"

"It's my first time in a raid with him and I certainly agree," you added.

Shiroe felt embarrassed from all the praise. "Don't say that... Everyone but me was fighting hard."

"Great job everyone! Now let's go to the next—" Kanami was cut off by the members' complaints.

"Kanami-chan! It's already so late!"

"My apologies everyone, I have to log out-nya."

"Same here. Goodnight everyone!"

Soon everyone in the group logged out, and surprisingly Kanami too, leaving only you and Shiroe the only ones active.

"You're not going to sleep, [u/n]-san?" He voice chatted.

"I will in a bit." A yawn escapes. "You should too," you scolded playfully.

He smiled, liking the feeling of being a bit closer with you.

"You're right." 

* * *

The next day.

"All right everyone! Let's get this started!"

"Kanami-san, isn't [u/n]-san going to join us?" Shiroe asked.

He expected a skilled Sorcerer like you to be with the group; he thought you were essential for attack combos. Indicus was also a great sorceror, but he preferred the skills you had.

"Eh? No no! [u/n]-chan isn't always with us, because she's a solo-casual player and enjoys the little things!"

He would be sad if someone told him that was the last time he was going to play with you, _and_ hear your voice.

"Ah, I understand." 

* * *

You didn't party up with anyone today.

That's because today was a day you worked on your sub-class, as an Animal Trainer.

On these days you would wander into the wild to tame horses or wolves and train them until you were able to summon them with a flute. It was difficult since the creatures were programmed to be stubborn, but you always felt satisfied in the end. Whenever you manage to turn a wild animal into a trusting companion, you would earn a decent amount of experience to raise the level of your sub-class.

Your avatar fed the wild horse an fruit from your inventory, and he instantly wouldn't leave your side. Next you trained it to be accustomed to a saddle, and whenever he does something right you fed him.

The steps were tedious, but you liked it that way. You thought it was reasonable because putting a considerable amount of effort into something impressive was realistic. 

* * *

You were back on the forum.

And the thread was in flames.

It irked you that most players were willing to give up on a decade-old mystery. All this hate proved it, and you recognized some of the usernames were veterans. You understand that focusing on leveling up, getting better gear, and loot seemed much more important than a flower and some card, but it was in your nature to know the end of things, no matter how long it took.

After filtering the hate from the others, you find a few comments that were worthwhile. 

_EdgedKnight: I don't have new information but I believe that if this gets solved, there would be a huge reward at the end._

_Dandelion: you have a point! :) good luck solving the mystery!_

_Revolia: I remember reading a thread saying that the first quest was related to the development of the game, hope that helps_

_Shiro: I also bought the flower recently. Your reasoning behind this event is encouraging, maybe we can work together?_

The last two were really important.

Unfortunately you can't look back at posts once the moderator deletes them, so there's no way to find the conversation Revolia was talking about. But you'll still keep her words in mind.

This leaves you with the last one. 

You go to Shiro's profile and find a link to his blog called 'Shiro Log.' You find that there was an option to send a message. 

_Hello Shiro, it's kuroryuu from the forums. I'm interested in teaming up with you to find the answer to this mysterious event!_

_Yamato server [u/n]_

_It's fine if we're not in the same server!_

And sent. 

_**CHAPTER 2 END** _


	3. three

_**CHAPTER 3: MEET YOU LAST** _

He took a sip of his water bottle and wipes his glasses before turning on his computer.

When he logs into his blog, he finds your message.

"[u/n]..." He wondered why it sounded familiar for a moment before realizing.

"Wait, the [u/n]..?! From the Debauchery Tea Party?!"

His heart beat fast.

He unconsciously held his breath as opened Elder Tale, and releases once he sees that you were online.

"Good morning, [u/n]-san."

"Good morning to you too Shiroe-san."

Your slightly drowsy voice saying his name gave him a certain feeling.

"You're early... Kanami doesn't do raids until afternoon. Do you want to party or something?" You ask him.

"Actually I... I wanted to tell you that I got your message."

"Hm..? Oh! You're Shiro from the forums?! Wow- I didn't- Well that just makes things easier!" You laughed. 

* * *

After forming a party and having a short discussion, they decided to treat 'destiny' as if it was something in the game, before considering other ideas.

They went to places they've never been before, and worked together to fight a Party-rank monster they haven't defeated yet. They've also searched shops and vendors for anything unusual that could be connected to the event.

But after that, they found nothing.

"Sorry Shiroe-san, can we take a break?"

"I was going to ask the same."

They both left their laptops to grab food and drinks.

It frustrated you, to fail to find anything. Your theories never left your head, and they begged you to be answered, but that was what caused the pain.

You went back to your seat and started to go through the available functions, looking at every detail you could see. It was out of rage that you did this, you weren't thinking correctly. You may have felt that you missed something right in front of you. 

_Settings— audio, graphics, log out, ..._

_Character— appearance, gear, ..._

_Inventory— materials, food, items, ..._

Wait what?

You go back to the card the Old Lady gave you and discover that there was an option to equip it in a weapon slot. 

X1 SPECIAL CARD

DETAILS EQUIP

You were sure it wasn't there before. 

_Is it a glitch?_ You thought.

Slowly, you neared your mouse towards the button, and clicked it. 

.

.

.

Darkness.

Your computer crashes. 

* * *

Shiroe comes back to his desk, a new bottle of water in his hand.

"[u/n]-san, are you ready?" He speaks into the party's voice chat.

No response.

"[u/n]-san?" Again.

Still no response.

He checks the members in his party to find you gone.

_Maybe she accidentally left._

He goes to his friend list so he could send you another voice message— but you weren't there.

You weren't even his friend anymore.

"What..?" 

* * *

"What in the world?! You crashed?!"

It was strange because your computer never crashed before. 

Your computer automatically starts itself again, and the screen displays the issue experienced before bringing you back to your home screen.

After taking a deep breath to calm yourself down, you open up the game again. You hope Shiroe understands.

The screen forms into the same log-in screen with the great tree in the background, but changes to flash a bright white, when you haven't pressed any button yet.

ENTER YOUR NEW NAME: **_**

It read.

"What..? What happened to my account?"

You notice it says 'new', like you decided to rename yourself. There was no option to exit or cancel. 

ENTER YOUR NEW NAME: [u/n] **_**

You put the same username. 

ERROR. PLEASE USE A REAL NAME. 

"A 'real' name? What..." 

ENTER YOUR REAL NAME: **_**

The word 'new' changes to 'real'. You ignore it. 

ENTER YOUR REAL NAME: [2nd u/n] **_**

Denied again.

ERROR. PLEASE USE YOUR REAL NAME. 

You were truly starting to get terrified. The changes seemed subtle, but they held a deep meaning. 

ENTER YOUR REAL NAME: kuroryuu **_**

DENIED. YOUR FORUM NAME IS NOT YOUR REAL NAME.

NO MORE RESISTING.

You felt shivers run down your spine; your fingers start to tremble. 

ENTER YOUR REAL NAME: [l/n] [f/n] **_**

It enters your full name automatically.

"H-How did it..? Why—"

WE WILL WAIT FOR YOU.

Those were the last words you read before you were brought back to your avatar appearing in Akiba.

But you weren't a fresh player, you still had all your progress, just had a different username. 

[f/n]

Race / Half-Alv

Sorcerer Lv. 83

You're still shaken about what happened but you forced yourself to work towards forgetting it.

Immediately you open your friend list, hoping to apologize to Shiroe for making him wait so long.

But it was empty, all cleared out.

You close the game window and pulled up your browser to go to Shiroe's blog, but you couldn't access the link to message him. The page would show you a 404 Error, no matter how many times you refreshed it.

And when you try to log into the forums, it wouldn't let you. You couldn't even make a new account.

It appears that you are blocked from communicating with your friends. Your _only_ friends.

You forced your computer to shut down.

You felt that you needed time to comprehend these new circumstances. 

* * *

"Eh? What do you mean Shiroe-san?" Kanami asks.

"I don't know what happened to her I— She just disappeared!" Shiroe was worried.

"Okay okay. I still see her on my friend list, I'll send her a message so she can read it when she goes online."

"Thank you but do you have any other way to contact her?"

"Sorry! I don't." 

* * *

For the past few days you've been trying get into any platform where you could tell your story, but your computer refuses to let you enter and type anything related to Elder Tale. You weren't desperate, it was more of a test of how much they've taken control of your computer.

Someone was responsible, you knew, and you weren't going to let them win.

Yes you were afraid, but you should've expected it. You wanted answers, and this is where you ended up. It doesn't matter if it was from a game. The more they scared you, the more excited you got.

If they didn't want you to communicate with anyone, but allow you to play Elder Tale, then it's most likely that the answer was in the game. You don't need help to solve this mystery, you were always a solo player anyways. 

_**CHAPTER 3 END** _


	4. four

**_CHAPTER 4: END TO START_ **

****

About over a year passes.

You've grown used to living in solitude, and continued to play Elder Tale.

Shiroe and the Tea Party still don't know of your whereabouts, but there was an attempt to find you. Shiroe wrote about you in his blog, and helped ask around in the forums, yet there was nothing. It also didn't help that their reputation turned poor due to some rumors, so perhaps the Elder Tale community just didn't care about you. They could only hope you were okay, and remember you.

The incident left a mark on Shiroe. He had a low-self esteem, so those thoughts of it being his fault would roam his mind. It haunts him sometimes. He truly thought he could be close with you, build a strong friendship, but things just can't be helped.

Soon the group became busy with their personal lives, and eventually they disbanded. The Debauchery Tea Party's existence became obscured by dirty comments online, ending up being forgotten.

And then came the Catastrophe. 

* * *

_Logging in was a mistake._

_A big mistake._

WELCOME DARLING.

And that was the last you've read before you went unconscious. 

.

.

.

Whistling winds and rustling leaves nag at your ears, succeeding in waking you. You find yourself against the mossy trunk of a tree, with your head resting uncomfortably upon a groove. Your hand rubs the sore spot gently, but you stop once you felt the thin cloth of your top.

You look at your attire, you don't remember putting any of it on. Even so it looked extremely familiar to the outfit your avatar in Elder Tale wore— _wait_.

_This place..._

Your hands find the metal staff your character equipped and you use it to help yourself stand. You express shock as you let yourself run through the familiar path of the forest. And it wasn't just the path that was familiar. Everything felt familiar, yet it also was surreal. To experience a video game, to be able to touch, hear, smell, you don't know how to react.

_I'm in... Elder Tale?!_

* * *

You find a small puddle of reflective water and took in your appearance. You wore a strapless and double-slit white silk dress. It was snug, showing off the size of your breasts, the pleasant curves of your waist and a bit of your thighs. Over it you had a white long-sleeved shrug jacket that connected around your neck with a single button, with lace trims on the ends. Around your waist was your character's beige-colored Dazaneg's Magic Bag. It lies on top of your butt, with the opening hidden so no one could steal from behind. For your legs you had loose white lace thigh stockings and knee-high beige leather boots with 3-inch-high heels.

Your [h/c] hair was in a neat ponytail, leaving your long bangs clipped aside and a few hairs frame the sides of your face. There seemed to be small differences that you felt on your body, but can't accurately place them. It didn't feel like it was yours. 

Under your breath you curse the game and yourself for having your character wear such revealing clothing. Your right hand grasps the metal staff, the top had a design that went around and secured a blue orb, and the bottom an arrow shape but the edge dulled. It felt cold, and you swore you could feel small vibrations running inside it.

_What if it's..._

"Magic..?" You whispered.

Curious, you wanted to test something. You hesitantly point your staff at the puddle.

"F-frigid wind..."

You thought you saw something sparkling come out of the blue orb.

"Frigid Wind..!"

You're surprised by the blast that erupts from the orb, causing you to jump and almost let go of your staff. But once it ends, you find the water puddle perfectly frozen, wisps of cool vapor emerging from it. You're not sure how to react but, experiencing magic felt amazing.

"Icicle Impale!" You played around with a few more spells.

"Icicle Blade!"

"Frost Spe—"

Something pops up in your face, and you notice it was your status screen. It warned you of how low your MP was.

"Oh... I forgot this was a game..." 

* * *

The sun was going down, and you were running around not knowing what to do. Your ears catch the familiar audio of Goblins growling and Dire Wolves howling in the distance. However it was different from what you heard through your headphones, it wasn't the same set of sounds repeatedly. This time it varied in pitch, there wasn't a determined set of sounds. 

As a result of your inexperience with high heels and not paying attention to where you ran, you tripped on tree root. Your face skidded through the dirt and you heard a few numbers of your health go down.

The sound of your fall appeared to attract attention, you could hear the monsters getting closer. You wished to spill a few tears but you couldn't, since there was no way out of the game. Grabbing your staff and gathering your confidence back, you stood up to run again, this time with much more caution.

After gaining bit more distance away from your last location, you casted Magic Light to guide your way. A floating blue orb of light appears, its silly face somewhat comforts you. You walk to fill your stamina, in case you needed to run again.

"Why did I log out in the forest," you complained.

Yesterday, the day before you installed Homesteading the Noosphere, you were farming experience from taming horses for your sub-class. It was normal for you to log out in monster-filled areas, because you were a powerful level 90. It wasn't scary in the least to appear in front of a dozen monsters when you safely operated behind a screen, but now it was different.

Actually you've already witnessed a monster in this world, a group of Goblins in fact. They were nothing like the ones you saw on screen. Small statures with wrinkly green complexions, their aggressive expressions complimented by their protruding noses and shark-like teeth, and their tribal clothing that may suggest intelligence. Plus their glowing yellow eyes that make them even scarier in the dark.

It all looked too realistic, you could already feel the roughness and the pores on their grimy flesh.

But you just couldn't face them, no matter how weak of a monster you knew they were.

And that was why you ran. You ran hoping to find someone, another trapped player, or even an NPC that could help you.

You walked through and over all kinds of vegetation, failing to find any man-made clearing or path. But you refused to give up, you weren't hungry or that cold to worry about yourself more.

_RUSTLE_

The sound makes you stop in your tracks and the Magic Light to disappear.

 _Something is behind me._

**_CHAPTER 4 END_ **


	5. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this and future chapters are unrevised.

**_CHAPTER 5: LIKE REAL LIFE_ **

_Something is behind me._

Instead of turning back like a suicidal fool, you just started running. But sadly it followed, haunting and mirroring your steps. You hear the rough stomps on the leaf-littered forest floor, it sounds that there are two pairs of feet. Nevertheless you continued to run, and soon neared your stamina limit. In the real world you wouldn't get tired this easily, so you assumed this deficiency was to suit your abilities as a Sorcerer.

You needed to catch a breath so you sharply turned to hide behind a tree trunk, with a hand suppressing your heavy pants. Your follower stops as well, you could hear them breathe with difficulty too. You take this chance, tired as you were, to take a small peek. 

. 

. 

. 

"A horse?!" 

You slid down the trunk with a relieved groan. 

The female horse approached you slowly, and you allowed her to lay next to you. Her familiar silvery-white coat and mane made you realize. 

"You're the horse I met before I logged out," you say as your hand strokes her neck.

You forgot that you were a high-level Animal Trainer. It was strange that interacting with animals came natural to you in this world, while in the real world you barely had any experience.

It appears that you've tamed the beauty, due to how she wasn't afraid of you and responded well to your actions.

You became curious again.

"Hmm... I wonder if..." 

━━━━━━ 

_And a look in Akiba._

"Hey Shiro-bou..."

His head perks up at the sudden serious tone of the outgoing Marie.

"I know you're not a fan of guilds... but would you like to join ours? The Tea Party is gone, and the situation now is—" 

"Sorry Mari-nee." 

His experience with guilds in the past still bother him. 

"But I can't yet." 

━━━━━━ 

_To survive in this world, we must learn its rules and learn how to fight._

You took a nice rest high up on a tree branch while the horse reassures you from below. When you woke up in the morning, you expected to be safe in your bed in the real world, but instead you are hit with the truth, ending up slipping off the branch and falling onto the soil.

"Ow... ow..."

She stares at you lazily while chewing some grasses on the ground. You glared back in embarrassment.

"You... You didn't see that."

Using the overgrown vines around the tree to help yourself up, you grabbed your staff and continued your walk. The horse follows closely behind, you hear her low neighs and the clops of her hooves. You hope she stays with you until you find a village, and then you could buy her a saddle.

A bush in front rustles and out came a single level 18 Imperial Forest Boar. Carrots littered its back, making you wonder if you should cook a stew. You feel your mouth start to salivate at the thought of cooked boar and you unwittingly pointed your staff.

"Icicle Impale!"

An ice stalagmite grows from the the ground and pierces the monster's stomach. It gives a dying shriek before exploding into colorful experience shards, and leaving behind a few coins and three carrots.

"Wait... The meat, where is it?"

You felt disappointment upon realizing that the monsters disappear when they're killed, following the same mechanics of the game. You put the loot in your bag and fed a carrot to the horse.

_But that fur and flesh, they looked real._

Some part of your mind refuses to believe that you couldn't eat its meat. 

━━━━━━ 

It approached the lake and dipped its snout, pausing to take a refreshing drink. From a bush you jump out and attempt to tackle it, but you fail. It quickly escapes from your range and scampers away.

You sigh and walk back to Picky, you finally named her, who you told to wait behind a tree.

"Let's go."

She knelt down so I could get on her saddle. Once seated with your feet on the stirrups and held the reins, she started towards the village.

"I'm better at taming," you comment, to which she responds with a nicker.

You and Picky stayed at a small village owned by People of the Earth. They were nice enough to let an Adventurer stay in one of their unoccupied cottages.

It would make sense to try to find other trapped players after finding a safe place to stay, but then again, you were used to surviving alone in the real world, so you didn't feel the need to. Besides, you had the villagers to help you if needed.

So now your focus was to get used to or take advantage of all that you could in this magical reality, and solve that certain _mystery_ while not dying because you weren't going to risk your life. You remembered that in Elder Tale killed players would respawn in safe places like Cathedrals, but you wondered if it was different now. But that kind of curiosity would solve itself one day.

A few kids playing stopped to greet you, and you returned it with a hand wave.

"We're here."

After getting off, you scratched behind her ears and tied away the reins. You didn't need to tie her to anything, she became too attached to you that she refuses to leave your side. 

You took off your small coat when you went in. Inside, there was a small haybed for Picky, a desk where you would write every night, your futon, a wooden storage for food, and a small stove. The only decoration was a vase with flowers that you changed daily; it was a habit you brought from the real world.

After Picky settled into her bed, you made a cup of tea and brought it to your desk. There you wrote a lot of thoughts in a fragile book that's stuffed with notes and the like. You open to a page were you hid a certain card.

You've been thinking about it for a while now. 

BE CAUGHT IN ITS EMBRACE. 

The words changed, and you couldn't figure why. 

_**CHAPTER 5 END** _


	6. six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg the reader is too op what the f— stfu it's better when we're badass

_**CHAPTER 6: TOO MUCH ATTENTION** _

About two months has passed since the Catastrophe.

A lot has happened in Akiba, but also with you.

Thanks to your ferocious curiosity, you achieved quite the load of discoveries. You're now at level 92 thanks to all the experience you gained, and is now considered as a Dragon Tamer for your sub-class.

First, you've gained two Overskills. Ultimate Fauna Empath and Boundless Grimoire.

And from those Overskills, you've attained five summoning songs for the animals you've rigorously tamed, and created a new item called Maelstrom. It was labeled as a grimoire but it was just a flimsy book full of notes on all the magic you've seen from the village.

Now you were bored and couldn't advance in the wild anymore. You finally decided to go to Akiba. 

━━━━━━ 

**[** Episode 9 **]**

"I wonder which mount to use for today..."

You take out a flute from bag and chose to play one of the five songs. 

From the sky you hear a happy shriek in the distance, and out from the clouds came a light blue-colored wyvern. He lands in front of the cottage gently, not wanting to blow you away with the strength of his wings.

You walk up to him and stroked the top of his head.

"I'm sorry but I need you to carry some stuff somewhere." He seemed to understand.

With secure leather straps you use them to tie a somewhat large leather bag on his back. It was filled with a lot of research notes, crafting materials, and all the money that you've earned.

"Okay! Let's go Kite!" You got on and held onto a groove made with his the armored scales on his back. 

━━━━━━ 

"What's... What's that in the sky?!" A player yells.

His loud voice catches the attention of the others around him, they look up as well. Something was flying high. It blended well with the bright blue sky, but it's moving wings made it easy to spot. A distant shriek could be heard and one of the Adventurers widen their eyes in fright.

"It's..! It's a wyvern! What is it doing in the city?!"

The monster starts to descend by flying in circles, it's terrifying size becoming more evident to the players. They started panicking, and some lower levels quickly going into a place to hide. They had the thought that Akiba was no longer safe from the monsters. A few of them curse Shiroe for calling the leaders of the strong combat guilds to his meeting. 

━━━━━━ 

"My only goal here is to improve the situation in Akiba," Shiroe clarifies.

William Massachusetts, the guild master of Silver Sword, stands from his chair with a unwavering look on his face. He had decided.

"Then I'll be on my way." He looks at the rest of the guild masters still in their chairs. "We are a combat guild. We have no interest in the city itself."

He continues to speak as he walked towards the exit.

"It's merely where we go to sell our items. In other words, the city's state doesn't matter to us."

His words made the atmosphere very gloomy.

He pauses at the door. "Let those who care solve their problems. There's nothing wrong with holding a meeting, but I do believe it's a waste of time."

His guild members Dinclon and Prometheus, who were standing near the door, open it for him. "Regardless, we aren't interested." 

.

.

.

Once they walk out, a few players start yelling for help, which surprises and confuses the William. Dinclon and Prometheus at his side immediately went forward to ease the stress on their guild master's mind.

"Where? What's the matter?"

In the next moment they are hit with a strong breeze coming from in front of them. They are shocked when they find high-level wyvern land right in front of them. William takes out his bow and a single arrow from the quiver on his back, with his members following with weapons of their own. He takes aim with consideration that monsters could be attacking Akiba.

"Stop!" A sweet voice says, yet they didn't know where it came from.

The winged-arm monster leaned its head and neck on the ground, and out came a woman from its back.

The Silver Sword members are shocked again and lowered their weapons. William stared at the beautiful woman. Her soft-looking [h/c] hair in a ponytail, and her bright white clothing complimenting her figure and giving her a luxurious aura. He would've assumed that she was a goddess, and that was until her status screen came up. 

_[f/n]_

_Race / Half-Alv_

_Sorcerer Lvl. 92_

William is first to speak.

"You're... an Adventurer?"

You glare at him. "Yes I am! So please don't touch my wyvern!"

Everyone but William was speechless.

He notices that you weren't in guild. "Do you want to join my guild? You're quite powerful—"

"Thank you for the offer," you bow, "but I must decline."

He and his guild mates blush at how pretty you are up close. It was a shame that you didn't want to join.

You pat Kite's nose, telling him to follow you. Everyone watching was in awe of how well you commanded such a powerful beast. As you walked away, there was many conversations about you.

"She's so lovely, and strong!"

"She's a Dragon Tamer right? That's amazing."

"I don't remember seeing her in Akiba before... Is she a new player?"

"You idiot! How is a level 93 a new player?!" 

━━━━━━ 

After booking a room in an inn and storing items in it, all you had to do now was go to the Guild Meeting Hall and put all your money in the bank. As you walked with Kite, you've gained way too much attention. It was only annoying because people came to ask you questions.

"Have they never seen a Dragon Tamer before?"

Once in front of the building, or right at one of the four bridges, you stop Kite and unloaded your luggage. You also removed the leather straps and treated him with portions of meat. When you take out your flute so you could let him go, he starts screeching in disapproval. You stare at him with serious eyes.

"Are you serious? You know you can't stay by my side forever, you know!" You tell him.

He whimpers, closes his wings, and lowered his head in sadness.

"Oh don't give me that look!" 

_**CHAPTER 6 END** _


	7. seven

**_CHAPTER 7:_ _DON'T RECOGNIZE_ _YOU_ **

"I have two goals.

First, to restore life in this town and to this world.

And the other, to create laws that bind the people of this town.

Does anyone here oppose them?" 

━━━━━━ 

"Next!" The female Earthling working at the desk calls.

You walk up with a nervous sweatdrop on your face.

"Hello, can I deposit my money?"

The bank teller couldn't respond because she was busy staring at the wyvern that casually stood next to you. Actually, everyone in the bank was staring in fear too.

"U-Uhm... yes..." She manages to say.

Much to your annoyance, Kite succeeded in convincing you to let him stay. He ends up following you inside the building. The creature was as low as he could be, but still towers over the receptionist's desk. It was just his luck that he could fit through the doors. 

━━━━━━ 

Just as the meeting ends, and the Round Table Alliance is formed, someone barges in through the red doors.

"WYVERN! WYVERN IN THE GUILD BUILDING'S BANK!" He appeared to have ran all the way, with his breaths heavy. 

His voice breaks the pleasant silence of the new alliance and catches their attention. The guild masters of the combat guilds held a serious attitude, while rest were worried. Shiroe immediately started to run towards the exit, wanting to see it for himself. Then followed Marie, and the rest. 

.

.

.

"Thank you very much," you tell the bank teller before turning to leave.

By now every Adventurer in the building had evacuated, terrified of the wyvern you had in control. You could care less though, Kite was friendly and would never attack unless need be.

_SLAM!_

The guild masters of the combat entered with a last-minute fighting formation: Krusty with his Demon Axe, Soujiro with his Sacred Sword unsheathed, Isaac with his Black Sword, and Eins with his Spirit Bow. The rest were watching closely from behind. Shiroe finally sees the light-blue wyvern and makes many theories in his thoughts.

Kite senses the danger and starts screeching loudly while flapping his winged arms. The party readies an offensive skill with their weapons, some had bright lights as they did so.

"WAIT! WAIT! HE'S FRIENDLY!" A voice cuts through the tension.

The alliance is surprised to find a woman running out from behind the beast, completely unscathed.

"HE'S MY FRIEND!"

At your voice, Marie couldn't help but feel nostalgia. She doesn't think but pushes those in front of her so she could run to you.

"[f/n]-chan..?" She whispers as he speed steadily built up.

"Wait Marie-nee!" Shiroe fails to stop her from advancing.

"That voice... Are you—" She takes hold of your form and gives you a bone-crushing hug. "Oof!"

"It really is you! [f/n]-chan!" Tears start to build up at the edges of her eyes.

"Marie..? Marie?! You're Marie!" You hug back in disbelief.

You've remembered what it's like to be with a friend again. Her green hair felt soft on the sides of your cheeks, and her body felt warm and comforting. It's also been a while since you hugged a real person.

On the other hand, the rest of the alliance deactivate and put away their weapons when they see that there was no threat.

"She tamed that wyvern..?" Soujiro whispers, to which the others catch.

They follow his sight and watched as you allowed Marie to pet the monster.

As much as you were impressive to them, you were still unknown to them. Shiroe doesn't remember anyone who looked like that and had control of a wyvern. Plus, something nagged him from the back of his mind. He wasn't sure if it was your voice, or the gear you had...

Right on cue, you walk up to the rest of the alliance with Kite following.

"Everyone! This is [f/n]-chan! We used to play lots with Calasin before the Catastrophe!" Marie happily introduces. 

_[f/n]_

_Race / Half-Alv_

_Sorcerer Lvl. 92_

"Nice to meet you all. Also, this is Kite," you motioned towards the wyvern and he bows his head, "he's a _stubborn_ wyvern that I tamed."

Krusty steps forward, you hear his armor click lightly.

"A Dragon Tamer, yes? Very impressive for a lovely lady like you," he says as he takes your hand and kisses it.

"My name is Krusty."

Isaac glares but quickly intervenes. "Hey woman, you don't have a guild so why don't you join mine?"

Krusty glares back, a bit angered that he offered it so quickly.

"Thank you but, I'm a solo-casual player. I like to enjoy the little things," you say with a smile.

Something about those words bothered Shiroe.

"That's a shame, though I hope we can be great friends," Eins says.

"I'm sure we can! Also, I'm new to Akiba so I hope you all will treat me kindly." 

━━━━━━ 

By some miracle, Kite finally leaves your side. The people in the alliance went back to relay the news to their guilds, leaving you with Marie. You were brought to her guild hall, owned by the Crescent Moon Alliance.

"I wonder why you changed your name, and why you're not on my friend list anymore! What were you doing this whole time?!" She complained.

You felt guilt. "Marie, I would explain if it wasn't so confusing," you say, hoping she would understand.

She was confused on why you hid from her for almost two years, but she knew she shouldn't force an answer out of you, because you were still friends.

"Okay, tell me when you're ready."

In the meantime she explains to you the state of Akiba, like the Round Table Alliance, which was to make the world a better place. She boasted of how it was all thanks to someone named 'Shiro-bou'. You expressed interest in him, especially of his idea to purchase the Guild Meeting Hall.

"If you want to meet him, he's with his new guild called Log Horizon!"

She gives you the directions to their building, and then you left because it was getting dark. 

_**CHAPTER 7 END** _


	8. eight

**_CHAPTER 8: I CAN EXPLAIN_   
**

"Good morning... me." 

You wake up in your room. It was small, but only temporary until you found a good place to live. The inn was run by Earthlings and they didn't charge much so it was perfect. You looked at the large leather bag filled with your notes that you put in a corner. You'd admit that the room was more of a place to put your stuff... 

After looking through your wardrobe, you decided on a dress that was a gift from the village you used to live. It was a pale teal with a pattern of white flowers, and lace flowers were sewn on the ends of the skirt and sleeves. The design was old-fashioned: with a high collar, puffed long sleeves, the torso and waist meant to hug your top figure, and the skirt part was layered and stops right above your ankles. For your legs, you wear thin white stockings and dark-brown ankle boots. You put your hair in the same high ponytail. To finish you put on a magic leather sling bag with a strap that went across your body, and which inside contains your grimoire, papers with a writing medium, a wooden flute, and a decent amount of money. 

The grimoire probably wasn't necessary but may have to go into dangerous areas. 

_Boundless Grimoire Maelstrom. A grimoire created by your Overskill: Boundless Grimoire Creation. By studying and writing notes of spells or magic skills, the book allows you to use them (regardless of what class you are) as long as it is equipped._

Today you planned to look for a permanent place to live and learn more of the world by interacting with other players. You also planned to visit Log Horizon and meet with their guild master because he seemed to be knowledgeable. 

"All right! Let's go!" You say before leaving. 

━━━━━━ 

You read the papers posted on the wall, all containing the seal of the Round Table Alliance. They revealed the secrets to flavorful food, which was doing everything by hand as long as a specialist handles it. You thought it was amazing, so you wrote it down on your paper. You were absolutely going to research more about it. There was also information about established rights, tax, and a lot of other stuff that you knew was Shiro-bou's idea because of Marie's talk. 

In your mind you decided to visit Log Horizon. 

While walking there, you witness Adventurers setting up tables and booths, appearing to get ready for a party. When asked they tell you of the celebration of the new alliance, and it excites you. You hope to taste some great food. 

"E-Excuse me..!" 

In front you find a nervous man with flushed cheeks. 

"Yes? Do you need help?" You ask. 

He looks to have trouble saying his words for moment. 

"You're b-beautiful! P-Please be my girlfriend!" He bows right after. 

You were stunned, and quite embarrassed by the amount attention. 

"I... I'm sorry but I don't know you well enough to do that!" 

The man seemed to stay still and silent, so you just went on your way. You hoped he doesn't get too depressed by your rejection. 

━━━━━━ 

You stare up at the abandoned brick building that had six floors. A large tree appeared to grow through the middle of it. It was very dirty and had many imperfections, yet you felt invited to enter. 

"Hello." 

You jump at the voice of the female in front of you, she was quite short and was dressed like an assassin. 

"Oh hello. You scared me," you say. 

"I apologize. Do you have business with my guild?" She seemed quite serious despite her cute appearance. 

"Yes, I'd like to speak to your guild master." 

She nods. "Understood, one moment please." 

She disappears in the air, which may be an Assassin skill. After a moment, a dark-haired man with round glasses and a wooden staff walks out of the building's entrance. You recognize him from the time you met Marie in the bank, you assume he was Shiro-bou. 

"Hello, you asked for me?" 

"Yes, I wanted to know more about—" 

You stop when you see his status screen pop up. 

_Shiroe_

_Race / Half-Alv_

_Enchanter Lvl. 90_

_Log Horizon - Guild Master_

_What... Wait a minute..!_

You took a step back in disbelief, your form trembles. You felt many emotions, but guilt was the main one. 

Shiroe furrowed his brows in confusion. 

"What's wrong—" 

"I'M SORRY! SHIROE!" You yell out, sadness filled you. You refused to spill tears, he needed a proper apology. 

He widens his eyes, he was confused. 

"Hey, are you alr—" 

"Shiroe... Shiroe! It's me! [u/n]! From the Tea Party!" 

There was a moment of silence, and all the memories of you two years ago came flooding back to him. He finally understood why he felt strange that day you arrived. 

"You- You're-! There's no way—!" 

"Shiroe! That day..! When I went missing, I- I can explain! Please let me explain!" 

Indeed he started to feel a bit of rage, because for this whole time you've still been on Elder Tale and never contacted him. 

"I'll explain everything, just not here." 

━━━━━━ 

"Come in," you say, allowing him in your room at the inn. 

He walks in silently, and takes a seat on your desk chair, while you sat on your bed. Shiroe also noticed the large luggage in the corner that smelled of ink and parchment, but he didn't ask about it. 

You start the story. 

"I'll get right into it. So that day when we took a break from our investigating, I discovered a glitch with the Special Card. When I triggered it, my computer crashes." 

Shiroe stared at your trembling form, unsure if he should believe what you were saying. 

"Then when it went back up, I opened the game, and it forced me to take my real name. The game said strange comments to me. I discovered for the next few years, I had to live without friends and no access to the forum or anyone related to Elder Tale..." 

Shiroe still hasn't said a word, and it makes you worry. 

"I had to grow used to living that way in order to get answers, is what I believed." 

He stared at you, quite unfazed. 

"I understand it's hard to believe..."

"So now that we're trapped in the game, you thought it was right to tell me," he touches his glasses, "two months later..?" 

You felt that he didn't believe you, you felt the tears finally run down your cheeks. 

"I forgot what you looked like after two years..! And this world is still hard to understand so I'm trying my best!" 

_**CHAPTER 8 END** _


	9. nine

_**CHAPTER 9: TAKE YOUR TIME** _

"P-Please believe me, Shiroe..! I really am sorry for leaving- for leaving everyone! Kanami, Marie, Naotsugu, you, Nyanta—"

"You worried us all you know. We searched for you, and then the Tea Party disbanded..."

"Please! P-Please...! I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything I know! My research! What I've been doing for two months! Shiroe I—"

You're suddenly met with comforting arms, the white coat you see belonging to Shiroe. He held you to his chest tightly as you cried harder.

"It's okay. Everything will be alright." He whispers.

"I know you need more details—!"

"No, I believe you. You can tell me more later just," he pushes you to lay down on the bed, "take your time. Don't rush."

You start to calm and steady your breathing. He lays next to you, and he again puts his arms around you to pull you towards his chest. You stared through his glasses, looking for his eyes to find what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry to you the most, Shiroe."

"I know."

He was didn't trust you at first, but when you had that desperate tone, regretful stare, he had to believe you. It was an unbelievable story you told, but he believes that it was that way on purpose and out of your control. Someone forced you to live alone, live without human interaction. Yet, the Catastrophe brought you and him back together.

There was also a part of him that didn't care about your story. He was relieved to find you alive and well. He was relieved to know your disappearance wasn't his fault. One of the mysteries in his head was solved, and he can't deny that.

"Shiroe, I..."

Your sleepy tone catches his attention.

"I don't want to leave you anymore." 

━━━━━━ 

_CLANK CLANK_

"Mm... Hm..?" You mutter.

You slowly open your eyes, and when your vision clears you find Shiroe cooking something at the mini-kitchen you had.

"Ah sorry, I was trying to cook something for you," he says, a bit of embarrassment to his tone.

You sit up and find that he left his white coat over you, it acts as a blanket. You could clearly see the black turtleneck sweater he wore.

"I can make a decent boar meat soup, is that okay with you?" He asks.

"It smells good... I want some..!" You excitedly say, to which Shiroe smiles to.

He was glad you were returning to your happy self, he really liked that part of you.

Once he was done he walks up to you with a bowl, steam rose out of it. He sits on the bed with you and hands you the soup carefully.

You take it with both hands and thanked him. Using the spoon to take a scoop, you blew before putting it in your mouth.

"It tastes... really good!" You smile.

Shiroe felt a nice warm feeling, he enjoyed your smile. 

━━━━━━ 

A bowl of soup later.

You open your magic bag to take out your grimoire, it felt right to tell him a fruit of your research. 

"Is that a grimoire?" He asks.

"Yes, but it's special to me. You'll be the first to see it."

He blushes slightly.

With the grimoire equipped, it floats in the air. One hand turns to a page and the other is put out in front, ready to cast.

"Electrical Fuzz."

A single small fuzz of light leaves your palm and floats to Shiroe, dealing harmless amounts of magic damage.

His eyes widen. "Wait, that's an Enchanter spell..!"

You turn to another page and call another spell.

"Firefly Light."

Green lights with silly faces goes over to roam Shiroe's space and heals him.

"And that's! That's a Cleric skill!"

He realizes what you were trying to show him.

"This grimoire is a result of my Overskill, Boundless Grimoire Creation. I think that's self-explanatory!"

He knew it was a magnificent skill, but it was dangerous too. If you were in the hands of an enemy...

"Isn't it cool?! Now I can share it with everyone in Akiba—"

"DON'T DO THAT!" Shiroe demanded.

You slightly shrink in fear at his risen tone.

"Why..? Why not Shiroe?"

"What if someone took advantage of you?! That ability's potential is too powerful..."

"But it's the result of my research..!"

He put hands on your shoulders, hoping you listen to him.

"You can't tell anyone else this, okay? It's for your own good."

After a moment you sadly nod, acknowledging that he knew what's right.

"Okay..." 

━━━━━━ 

Time passed, and you've been fitting well in Akiba.

You told the reason behind your disappearance to those who needed to know, like members of the Tea Party, Marie, and those close to them, like Akatsuki and Henrietta. The reason why they've accepted it was thanks to Shiroe's influence, if he believed you then the rest would follow.

Everyday you would learn more and more about everything, every little thing, and things that are soon to be created. Personal research papers piled up in your room, and unfortunately you didn't find a place to live yet. Shiroe offered you a place in Log Horizon, not as a guild member but as a friend, and yet you were still thinking about it. Their Guild Hall was still going under renovations, so you had time.

And each day you always made some time to visit Shiroe, he did the same. There has been sightings of him visiting you and vice versa, which lead to rumors of the two of you in a relationship. Many that weren't close to the Villain in Glasses couldn't believe how he could have a chance with a beauty like you. Your admirers expressed jealousy, but they couldn't do anything about it.

Though it wasn't _that_ kind of relationship. It's true that the two were getting close every time they met, but they only mean to talk about research and classified things. And because of that, they somewhat had to act like a couple in order for them to meet privately. Surprisingly you had grown to understand the circumstances so you never looked at him romantically, but Shiroe couldn't help himself...

He fell madly in love with you. 

_**CHAPTER 9 END** _


End file.
